Bloom Biological, Inc. is currently looking for qualified biologists interested in on call opportunities specializing in nesting bird surveys and raptor monitoring throughout Southern California. Applicants should have significant and demonstrable birding skills and familiarity with sensitive species. B.S. or master’s degree in biology preferred.

Must be able to work independently and interact positively with project managers, clients, landowners, and other technicians. Candidates with prior experience conducting nesting bird and raptor surveys will be given preference.

Work requires the ability to identify bird species present in the western U.S. in general and southern California/Nevada desert species specifically, by sight and sound, sometimes at great distances. Must be able to take detailed field notes, collect behavioral and spatial use data according to established protocols, and fulfil daily reporting requirements. Skilled use of topographic maps, GPS units, and other standard field equipment is required.

Work opportunities are available immediately and given preferentially to those who respond quickly to emails or phone calls. Hourly rate will depend on experience.

Qualifications:Those applying MUST possess the following: Demonstrable birding skills including raptor ID and survey experience. A Valid Driver’s License is required and experience driving a 4 wheel vehicle is preferred.

For the past several years we have had the opportunity of hosting an externship with students from Tufts University studying conservation medicine. Generally we host them over their winter break, where they spend time in the field with senior biologist Peter Bloom learning trapping and handling techniques with a variety of raptors. Here are a few great photos from days out in the field. Pictured is this years amazing extern Cristen Mathews with a Golden eagle and Red-tailed hawk. If you are interested in an internship, contact us through our website. We value sharing our expertise and mentoring the next generation of biologists, veterinarians and conservationists.

Career Opportunities at BBI

Bloom Biological Inc. is an environmental consulting firm with over 40 years of experience with endangered and sensitive species in California. We are currently looking for an efficient and focused person to work in the main office assisting the president and CEO with administrative tasks and helping the accounting department with basic clerical duties. This is a great opportunity for any budding ornithologist or avian enthusiast with an interest in raptor research and Southern California. Aside from basic clerical duties there will be a heavy influence on maintaining field records, databases and 40 years of data sets on raptors.

Responsibilities include:

Organizing all correspondences that come into the main office including emails, phone calls and mail.

Making reservations and managing administrative tasks for the main biologist. Examples Include conference registrations, field access forms, airlines and hotels.

Entering hours, recording and archiving time sheets and receipts for any expenditures provided by the main biologist or CEO

Filing project papers and archiving historical field data to maintain an organized and efficient office. Locating research, historical papers and data as needed for publications.

Managing upkeep of all computers and devices including backups and system upgrades.

Preparing and maintaining the main office for meetings and ordering necessary supplies.

What a year!~ 2017 has been quite a year with lots of ups and plenty of downs, but we wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone we had the opportunity to work with this year, and wish everyone a great 2018.

We have the unique opportunity of being able to work on projects large and small, providing the personal touch of a small company with the organizational skills and knowledge of a larger firm. We had some exciting projects this year that allowed us to get into the field and provide the scientific expertise we are known for. At BBI, one of our core values is staying abreast of the latest research and contributing regularly to scientific advancement.

This year, Dr. Michael Kuehn presented at this year's Raptor Research Foundation with a presentation based on more than 30 years of BBI research on Swainson’s Hawks titled;

Solar Energy and Nesting Swainson’s Hawks in California’s Antelope Valley: How Long of a Future Together?

We will be leading the 2018 Statewide Swainson’s Hawk Survey effort in collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and we are looking for qualified volunteers to assist with surveys. Send us an email if you are interested! - ashleymacomber@bloombiological.com

As a women owned business it is important to support and provide opportunities to the women on our team. Ashley Macomber has been working with us for a while on a smaller scale, but will be moving into the position of Assistant Project Manager providing our team and our clients with organization and clarity, ensuring a smooth workflow.

Jackie Catino-Davenport continues to be an integral part of our team. Ms. Catino-Davenport has stepped into the role as part owner of BBI being able to manage large teams of people on several of our projects and creating great customer relationships. Her experience in the field combined with her understanding of protocols and her precision in communication make her an incredible asset to our team.

Breanna Bartels, has become the head of the accounting department this year making sure our clients and our staff have everything they need to start, conduct and finish any project. Having worked with BBI for five years now, she is not only an expert at accounting, but she possesses the knowledge to understand the needs of our field biologists and can translate that into numbers.

As a small business, each person on our team must wear multiple hats. We are a small team, devoted to our success as a whole and to each other individually. We are proud of the work we have done, and our abilities to provide excellent consulting and research that promotes conservation and considers the changing landscape of our time. We look forward to the challenges of 2018, and wish everyone a joyous and productive new year.

We have done a lot this field season at BBI, working throughout southern California with a variety of species on a multitude of projects. Below is some wonderful footage of a typical day in the field. The view from a cherry picker after returning some recently banded Swainson's hawks to their nest. Thanks to Mike Kuehn for the video. Greg Tully and Pete Bloom pictured in photo

BBI's Peter Bloom was recently featured in an article from the Wall Street Journal, examining the role of roadkill in biology and conservation efforts. There is a video as well, where Pete uses part of a musk deer to trap Turkey Vultures in an ongoing study effort to determine why their numbers have been "dwindling".

Allen Fish and the folks at the Golden Gate Raptor observatory just sent us this link to Pete's talk from the 49th Raptor Research Foundation conference hosted at the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory in November of last year.

Pete's presentation "Fifty Years of California Raptor Conservation — Success, Failure, Works in Progress, & Insights for Future Research" was wonderfully filmed and we are delighted to be able to share it!

California High Speed Rail Authority just published their small business newsletter featuring a nice article about BBI's involvement in the project. We are currently out in the field surveying for Swainson's hawks, a threatened species in CA.

This Great Horned owl was photographed out in Kern County this week near the Cattani Ranch by BBI biologist Michael Kuehn. Spring is a busy time of year at BBI and we are currently in the field all over California and parts of Nevada.

Happy holidays and best wishes for a wonderful new year! We are pleased to have accomplished so much this year, and value the relationships with our clients and collaborators. We wish everyone a successful and productive 2016!

At BBI we receive a lot of pictures of birds we have banded making appearances all over California. This year we have some turkey vultures and a Red-tailed Hawk. Thanks to Kat Avila, Joe Valley, and Devon Lang Pryor for the shots

While home visiting family last week, Dr. Michael Kuehn and fiancee Jean Galang spotted a very rare young Scissor-tailed Flycatcher off course during its first migration. See pics and read all about it on the Michigan Audubon site.

Peterson Ranch has established the Land Veritas Mitigation Banks which will provide habitat for a number of important species. We were relatively peripheral to the creation of this land bank but our endorsement of it as credible Swainson’s Hawk habitat contributed to its acceptance.

Description: Peter will speak about some of the results from his dissertation research that includes a hitherto undescribed migration of fledgling and young adult Red-tailed Hawks from southwestern California to northerly latitudes at least as far a Yellowstone NP in Montana, and another component that looks at vagrancy (basically lost) in Red-shouldered Hawks also banded in southwestern California.

Open to the public. Light refreshments are provided. Free! Donations are greatly appreciated. For more information please contact the Madrona Marsh Nature Center at 310-782-3989.